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Table of Contents
Forward by Dr. Andrea Oliver, Ph.D.

4

Preface: The Immutable Cs & the Masala Principle

8

Introduction: The FLAVA Metaphor and Methodology

31

Chapter 1: Comprehensive Communication

40

Chapter 2: Transactionship vs. Relationships

63

Chapter 3: Intro to Personalities, It started with Hippocrates

73

Chapter 4: The Foundation

83

Chapter 5: The FLAVA Methodology

92

Chapter 6: Clarifying the Concept

109

Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

122

Chapter 8: The FLAVA Rule of Communication

157

Bonus 1: The Job at Hand

175

Bonus 2: The Same Old Carrot

181

Bonus 3: Lagniappeâ&#x20AC;Śa little something extra

186

Foreword
I have spent literally half of my life in various
classroom settings teaching students ranging from
pre-adolescent age to first time in college senior
citizens. Although technological advances have
transformed the way in which instruction and
information is delivered to the students I have
worked with, the one constant that has remained in
place during that two decade span of time is that the
most effective educator knows she must vary her
instructional methods to suit the learning styles of as
many students as possible to maximize the potential
of all students she comes into contact with.

In the past year, I have transitioned from being an
educator on the frontlines of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classrooms to
training our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next generation of educators. In
doing so, I am imparting the same lessons of teaching
effectiveness that were imparted to me, which I

regularly applied during my own career: vary your
instruction to suit the multiple learning styles of the
students you will work with so that you can be at
your professional best. You have some who are
more visual in their approach to learning, while there
are those who are more auditory in their preference in
acquiring knowledge. Likewise, there are those that
are kinesthetically inclined and are best motivated to
learn when given opportunities to move their bodies,
and there are those that are tactile and learn best
when physically manipulating objects to learn
concepts and information. The skilled teacher will
plan instructional activities that emphasize these
styles to every extent possible, because she knows
that making an effort to do will enhance student
performance and will dramatically improve his
attitude toward schooling overall.

When I was asked to prepare the introduction for
this book, my mind made the immediate connection
between the lessons I learned as a teacher and a
teacher of teachers related to learning style
5|Page

preferences and the platinum rule of communication
coined by Vanguard Solutions Consulting founder
and the author of this book, Samuel Hall which
states this: communicate unto others as you would
have them communicate unto you. In the same way
that my 20-year experience as an educator has
shown me the importance of varying instructional
approaches for maximum impact, Mr. Hall brings
two decades of experience as a Human Resources
professional, and a married father of two to the arena
of communication effectiveness. I believe that his
experiences uniquely qualify him to speak
authoritatively on this topic! Eighteenth century
English poet William Cowper once declared that
“Variety’s the very spice of life that gives it all its
flavour [sic]”. It is in the spirit of this literary and
literal truth that the What’s Your FLAVA? System
seeks to show people that they must vary their
interaction styles to season their communication to
suit a variety of tastes in multiple settings. Readers
who will implement the techniques revealed by the

What’s Your FLAVA? System will witness
6|Page

improvement in every facet of their lives and in all
the roles they occupy. I encourage all who read this
book to learn the platinum rule of communication so
they can become the best managers, employees,
spouses, parents and friends they could ever hope to
be. Enjoy, engage and employ the lessons in this
book!
Andrea L. Oliver, M. Ed., Ph. D
Coordinator of Teacher Education & Historian
December 2014

7|Page

Preface
This book is for all individuals, families, teams and
organizations who want to get better at what they do.
In other words, you want to improve your performance
in the big things and even the small things in your life.
You may initially think that you have no significant
need for performance improvement. But, â&#x20AC;&#x153;getting
betterâ&#x20AC;? ultimately means improving your performance.
And you may also think that since you are not an
athlete, a corporate leader or a professional sports
coach that you do not actually operate within a
competitive environment. Nothing could be further
from the truth. We all operate within competitive
environments, whether we realize it or not.

To understand the universal need that each of us has
for performance improvement, you must first
understand the Four Laws of the Immutable Cs
which drive human behavior and ultimately affect
performance. You may have attempted to make
improvements in the past. But, you have probably only
8|Page

focused upon just one critical element in your life to
effectuate that improvement. There are four immutable
Cs that work like interlocking gears in the machine of
our lives and collectively drive our outcomes. You
could be actively working to turn one of those gears
while other forces are turning another gear which is
preventing the gear that you are working on from
turning. Those gears are the Four Immutable Cs:

Change, Competition, Culture and Communication
are the immutable â&#x20AC;&#x153;Csâ&#x20AC;? that drive the need for a highlevel of performance. The first of the Immutable Cs is
Change. And the immutable law associated with it, is
that Change is Continuous. To master performance
improvement, you must first master your behavior
during change. The frequency and the magnitude of the
change within all aspects of our lives impact our
performances.

9|Page

It may be an oversimplification, but the only constant
in the ever-changing universe is --change. The people,
teams and organizations who learn to effectively
manage change (or more aptly stated those who learn
to effectively manage themselves in the midst of
change) are much more likely to succeed in the pursuit
of their goals than those who do not. There are far
more variables that affect our success which we cannot
control, than the very few which we actually can. It is
not enough to simply expect change, we must adapt
and thrive in the midst of change.

We intuitively know that things are changing around
us. In order to understand the extreme impact of that
change, we need to look no further than to three
historically dominant forces that once ruled the world
completely unopposed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; dinosaurs, newspapers and the
U.S. Postal Service. All of these once dominant forces
were unable to adjust their performances to meet the
demands of their changing environments. Each is now

10 | P a g e

extinct or is on the endangered species list. They did
not effectively manage their behaviors as the change
ultimately imposed significant effects upon them. This
also applies to each of us. Think about it. The way that
you live all aspects of your life has drastically changed
during the last 10 to 20 years. Most people are averse
to change, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t intuitively know why. They
simply do not like to change. In actuality they are
really averse to the new behaviors that the change
necessitates them to adopt. The change that we see and
experience is actually the after-effect of the real change
force which is often overlooked. All change begins
with an unseen competitive force.

To understand the difference between the effects of the
change that we experience and the actual source that
drives that change, consider that change moves through
our lives like a tornado moves through a country side.
The physical evidence of the tornado is the wind that
we feel and we also see the results of the windâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
powerful impact by the trail of its destruction. What we
11 | P a g e

typically think of as change in our lives, is merely the
“wind” of the tornado of change. It is what we “feel”
and that force is in our immediate physical
environment, we focus on the impact (the wind)
instead of the source of the wind.

There is also an unseen force of atmospheric
phenomena that actually causes the formation of the
tornado. If you want to understand how tornados are
formed, you must first understand the forces that create
them. Similarly, all change that we deal with in our
lives is really the wind or the after-effect of an unseen
competitive force which created that change. By
“competitive”, we mean a force which “competes” for
our limited time, energy and resources.

The often negative connotation associated with change
occurs because of our apprehension, uncertainty and
the unwillingness to modify our behaviors. We
experience a myriad of tornadic effects (winds) of
change that blow through our lives as separate and
12 | P a g e

distinct forces and each requires its own solution.
Although these various winds of change may emanate
from different sources i.e., family crises, workplace
transitions, technological innovations or economic
calamities, they are all ultimately resolved by the same
solution. We are all required to adapt, modify or
change our behaviors. To effectively mind your
change, you must first change your mind.

All people-related problems are really change-related
problems. All change begins and ends with the human
mind because all change requires a modification in
behavior. To that end, a critical element of
performance improvement is change management. This
book is principally about performance improvement
which is initiated by the “gear” of communication.
Change is the central “gear” that will eventually affect
all others.

13 | P a g e

The second of the Immutable Cs is Competition.
The immutable law associated with it is that
Competition is Constant and unavoidable. As we
pursue performance improvement, understanding the
nature of continuous change is key. We must
understand that competition is just as constant as
change is continuous. Change places demands upon us
and our behavior, while competition places demands
upon our resources. The inescapable presence of
competition necessitates the need for performance
improvement. Most people think of a competitive
environment as one only where sports teams and
athletes perform. Others think of a competitive
environment as a situation where companies wage
million-dollar ad campaigns to vie for customers and
market share. However, competition is all around us. It
is truly constant and ubiquitous. It turns out that all
people compete without consciously realizing it. We all
compete for the small seemingly insignificant things
and for the big, essential and obvious things of life.

14 | P a g e

We compete for them each day and even each moment
throughout the day. Consider this axiom, â&#x20AC;&#x153;if there is
competition, then performance matters.â&#x20AC;? For
instance, parents compete against social media, video
games and friends for their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time and
attention. Employers compete against other companies
for the loyalty and retention of their employees.
Spouses compete against the distractions and demands
of family life in the 21st century for stronger
relationships with each other. Interpersonal
relationships are the foundation of families,
organizations and communities. Stronger relationships
start with improved performance in those
relationships. Even though there are no sports teams
wearing colorful uniforms and no visible scoreboards
surrounding us, we all are still very much in the midst
of competition as we live our everyday lives.

Where there is competition, our performances most
assuredly matter. Take a moment to consider the five
most important people who comprise significant
15 | P a g e

personal and business relationships in your life.
Imagine there is an imaginary relationship
“scoreboard” above the head of each of those five
people every time that you speak with each of them.
What if those scoreboards tracked whether your
relationship with that person is stronger or weaker after
each conversation? You would then be able to clearly
see whether you were “winning” or “losing” in that
relationship each time. Presumably, these specific
relationships have a huge impact upon your family,
your career and the quality of your life. When we
knowingly and intentionally enter into a competitive
situation, we typically do so with a strategy and the
appropriate mindset. We also expect there to be gains
and even losses in an environment “labeled”
competitive. What happens when we unconsciously
and aimlessly wander into the throws of daily
competition without a plan and totally unprepared? We
do not perform up to a level to our true capacity. When
was the last time that you actually prepared a strategy
for a conversation with your children, your spouse or
16 | P a g e

your business partners? So, do you still think that you
are not in a competitive environment? And do you still
think that you are winning?

The third of the Immutable Cs is Culture. The
immutable law associated with it is that Culture is
Contagious. Every group, every team, every
organization and even every family that has been in
existence for any significant period of time has an
established and distinct culture. The culture of a group
of people can be defined as the sum of their attitudes,
customs, and beliefs that distinguishes that group of
people from another. Culture is transmitted through
language, material objects and customs from one
person to another. You may not readily recognize it,
but there is a dominant culture that exists within the
company where you work, the neighborhood that you
live in and even within the house that you call home.

The culture of a group or organization is critical to
performance because the culture establishes the
17 | P a g e

guidelines and practices which facilitate successful
behaviors. Consequently, culture significantly impacts
performance. Culture can be strategically implemented
by leaders in a top-down approach or culture can grow
unchecked from the bottom up. Think of two
categories of teams. The first being the best performing
companies and sports teams that you know. The second
category being the worst performing companies and
sports teams that you know. The teams in each
category have either a distinct “winning” or “losing”
culture. Culture is definitely contagious. The question
is whether the people are being “infected” or “inspired”
during the process.

Culture can be positive or negative and similar to a
virus, is spread from person to person. It is impossible
to consistently produce excellent results within a
culture that does not foster excellent performance. So,
how is culture most effectively established and spread?
Well, that all begins with Communication!

18 | P a g e

The fourth of the Immutable Cs is Communication.
The law associated with it is that communication is
the catalyst for change. More specifically,
communication is the catalyst for behavioral
modification that leads to performance improvement.
Whether it is a group of volunteers at a local charity, a
large corporation or a military unit, they are all
comprised of individual people. If you desire to
improve the performance of those groups, it stands to
reason that you must first improve the performance of
the people who comprise each group.

Communication between one person and another is the
beginning of that improvement. The focus of this book
is the fourth â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;? and emphasizes the need to for us to
Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand More.

19 | P a g e

The Masala Philosophy
Centuries ago we perceived that our planet’s
resources were virtually boundless. Today, we know
that our planet and its natural resources are not
limitless. Likewise as individuals, we understand that
we too have limited resources of time, availability and
personal capacity. Even corporations are limited to 24
hours each day and to seven days each week.

Like boxers, most corporations compete within
“weight classes”. These weight classes allow for fair
and even competition. Coca-Cola competes against
Pepsi and General Motors competes against Ford
Motor Company. Local small businesses typically
compete against other small businesses that have very
similar capital, equipment and resources. Very
seldom does a single company have an
overwhelmingly significant advantage of resources
over its competition within its “weight class”. The
environment is virtually the same for each competing
company.
20 | P a g e

If we all are bound by relatively the same
limitations of time and resources, then why is it
possible for some individuals, teams, departments,
and entire organizations to perform well in
competitive circumstances while facing the exact
same limitations and environmental challenges as
their struggling competitors?

Superior athletic performance in individual sports in
contrast to team sports can almost always be
attributed to the superior physical prowess of the
individual. It is easy to see that Olympic legends
Hussain Bolt and Michael Phelps are physically
dominant in comparison to their competitors. Their
success is not attributed to their knowledge,
technique or strategy. Those things are observable by
their competitors and can be easily copied and
adopted. The answer very plainly is that, Bolt and
Phelps are just simply better athletically and much of
their ability is innate genetics. Identifying the
formula for success in team sports and business is far
21 | P a g e

more difficult to determine. Genetics are an
infinitesimal part of the formula. Unraveling the
secret of success of superior corporations is
extremely difficult for anyone outside of those firms
because there is an almost infinite number of
variables that contribute to a corporationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success.
Those variables differ from company to company
and across industries. If we could isolate that formula
then, we could replicate the success. Sports teams
within a single league offer observable performances
that can be assessed by standard metrics. They
operate within a more limited environment under the
same conditions.
The 20-year search for this answer was the
foundation of our Masala Philosophy which can
guide individuals and teams to perform exceptionally
well within the same environment where others are
failing. Imagine the advantage of the ability to feast
during a famine. Improved performance in the midst
of fierce competition translates into several positive
22 | P a g e

outcomes such as higher profits, expanded personal
choices and greater individual success. It begins with
the identification of the 4 Immutable Cs and
recognizing just how significantly communication
impacts the overall process of performance
improvement.
To catch a glimpse of this philosophy in action, we
will call upon one of sports history’s greatest coaches,
the University of Alabama’s legendary head football
coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant. During his illustrious 25year tenure at Alabama, Coach Bryant garnered six
national championships, as well as, thirteen
conference championships. In 1982 when he retired,
his six national championship titles and his 323
career wins set the record for the most victories by a
head coach in collegiate football history. Coach
Bryant’s win totals were astonishing. When we look
beyond the total wins and losses and even beyond the
championships, we can take a closer review of his
unique “management” process. He was able to do
something that other coaches were not doing. Bear
23 | P a g e

Bryant’s prowess in coaching was not merely
measured by his national championships and his
career wins. He also had the astonishing ability to
take almost any group of players and produce
outstanding results with them.

Coach Bryant was so brilliant in doing this that he
became legendary for it. If fact, Bum Phillips, former
coach of the Houston Oilers, colloquially described
Coach Bear Bryant by saying, “He can take his’in and
beat you’rn and then can take you’rn and beat his’in.”
Translated into today’s more common vernacular
this quote means, Coach Bryant could take his
players and beat your players and then he could turn
around and take your players and beat his players.
Clearly it was not all about the players, which then
logically eliminates genetics and physical superiority
as the key for success. If physical athletic superiority
alone is not the key for success in team sports or group
performance, then what is it?

24 | P a g e

“He can take his’in and
beat you’rn and then can
take you’rn and beat
his’in.”
Coach Bum Phillips
(Speaking about legendary Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant)

25 | P a g e

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA?

26 | P a g e

In Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, there is a limited
set of basic spices. A chef’s prowess is determined by
how well she or he is able to blend those basic spices
into virtually unlimited combinations. So, in Indian
cuisine, the term “masala”, refers to the ability to take
spices and blend them artfully to get the exact results
you desire.

Likewise, our Masala Philosophy of Management is
predicated upon the belief that you “take what you
have and create what you want.” This not only
applies to business situations, but also to our personal
lives and relationships. To that end, Coach Bear
Bryant’s capacity to outperform his competitors
while utilizing the same resources and overcoming
the same limitations is the essence of the Masala
Philosophy of Management. We must learn to Listen
Differently, Hear Better and Understand More!
This process continues with fully understanding the
individual parts of the group, team or organization
27 | P a g e

well enough to be able to manipulate, maneuver, or
leverage them in order to get greater productivity out
of each piece and the collective. We must realize that
through the avenue of communication, we can
improve our capacity to more effectively engage
people, connect with them and move them along a
continuum that allows for more productive results.

The Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? book is the first in a
series which explains a three-step process that
begins with improving performance through
communication, and continues in the second book,
The Masala Principle which explores creating
exceptional teams that achieve sustained success, and
the series concludes with the third book which
explores maintaining drought-resistant relationships
in The Sorghum Factor.
The very first step begins with the most critical part
of improving performance which is communication!

28 | P a g e

Book Format
Each chapter will include the following components to guide you through the
information easily. Each component is marked by an icon to help you
recognize it:

Chapter Quote:
The Chapter Quote is subtle inspirational reminder from one of
life’s icons that expresses a truism that should be considered
when reading the chapter.

Chapter Keys
The Chapter Keys are the building blocks for each chapter.

The Little Big Thing
This is one of the “small points” that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
once stated are all around us and that are often overlooked.
These points make a huge difference when we actually
recognize and utilize them in our decision-making.

The Human Factor
This is a reminder that ultimately it is all about the human
impact and our performance improvement.

Did You Know
Introduces a critical statistic or metric that demonstrates the
importance of the information in a practical environment

Toolbox Take-away
We all carry metaphorical toolboxes that contain our collection
of knowledge, skills, abilities, training and experiences. The
more “tools” that you collect and place into your toolbox, the
more prepared that you will be when expected and unexpected
opportunities are presented to you.

Introduction:
The FLAVA Metaphor and Methodology
___________________________________________________
Our personalities impact the way we all
think, feel and act. This book is intended to be a
resource that will assist you in understanding yourself
and others better as you strive to improve your
performance within your relationships, families and
jobs. We want to assist you in improving your
companies, communities and families. As you
contemplate that improvement, it is vitally important
to understand personalities and all of the other
elements that are involved in this process. There are
some elements that we only have influence over
instead of complete control. The element that we have
the most control over is ourselves.
Page | 31

Introduction: The FLAVA Methodology

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “If you want
to change the world, start with yourself.” No truer
words have ever been spoken. Before you can change
yourself, you need a better understanding of the
person you truly are. It starts with a more complete
picture of you and your personality. Through this
journey of discovery to learn more about yourself,
you will also learn a great deal more about others
around you.

The first step on any journey of discovery always
begins with a question: who, what, when, where or
why? Questions begin the dialogue which leads to
answers. Isaac Newton pondered the question of what
caused that apple to fall on his head. Thomas Edison
posed the question of how could he bring light to the
masses. And the name of our personality and
communication system is also posed as an
interrogative—What’s Your FLAVA? It is intended to
generate a dialogue that facilitates a discussion and
produces information.
Page | 32

Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Most people are bereft of true selfunderstanding. But, having a lack of knowledge about
oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self or of any particular area does not eliminate
its impact upon you. Some people may suffer with
acrophobia, but may have never been in a situation that
allowed the condition to have been manifested. Being
unaware of your own behavioral traits that are clearly
associated with your personality will not eliminate
those traits or lessen their impact upon your
communication and workstyle. No more than a lack of
understanding of gravity will lessen its effect when
falling from a ladder. By the way, acrophobia is a fear
of heights. If you suffer from it and are fully aware of
its adverse impact upon you, then you probably would
not pursue a career as a high-rise window washer. See,
knowing more about yourself will impact the decisions
that you make. Surely, you would not like to find out
that you really do not like dealing with numbers after
you become an accountant.
Page | 33

Introduction: The FLAVA Methodology

Metacognition is an understanding of your
own individual learning process. It is, “learning how
you learn”. The FLAVA system helps you to better
understand you!
What’s Your FLAVA? is a personality assessment and
communication system. It is designed to be fun,
engaging and easy to understand. This book and the
FLAVA methodology is presented in common, everyday terms, not in technical jargon. You will find that
the FLAVA system is simple and is a common-sense
approach to personalities and communication. The
primary purpose of this system is to improve
performance and bottom-line results. It will impact
your personal and business relationships through
increased knowledge of personalities. If you have a
better understanding of key behaviors, then you can
anticipate those behaviors. Companies typically offer
the same universal compensation and incentive plans to
all employees, but different people value different
Page | 34

Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

things. Knowing that one person values a position with
increased autonomy versus monetary rewards is helpful
when attempting to incent that person.

The word FLAVA is simply an acronym
for your Feelings, Likes, Attitudes, Values and
Actions. These are the ingredients that build your
personality. FLAVA is just another way of
conceptualizing your personality. It has been nearly
2500 years since Hippocrates identified that all people
have one of four personality types. He believed that the
major fluids found in the human body influenced
behavior and produced those four personalities which
he labeled:
1) Sanguine
2) Choleric
3) Phlegmatic
4) Melancholic
The study of our personalities is much more than just a
theoretical pursuit.
Page | 35

Introduction: The FLAVA Methodology

It has a very tangible and financial impact
upon todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers and business outcomes.
Recently, eLoyalty, a customer service company which
specializes in call-center operations, invested $50
million and hired 250 linguists to develop proprietary
software that assesses the personalities of inbound
callers. Once assessed, the software routes them to a
customer service representative with the appropriate
personality to most effectively service the caller.

This is a very clear example of the practical application
of personalities. In this example, it is easy to see that
this corporation understands the differences between
the personality types. eLoyalty was so convinced that
these differences would have a substantial impact upon
its business operations, that they invested $50 million.
During Hipprocratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time, the concept of such an
abstract phenomena as personalities was new and
difficult to conceive by the common person. Even
Page | 36

Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand More…

today in our advanced society, during a time when we
have successfully mapped the human genome, we still
find that there is minimal understanding by the general
population about our personalities and their substantial
impact on the communication process. The experts
who came after Hippocrates added to the science of
personalities, but they also added confusing
methodologies. Those methodologies have been
overly-technical, filled with abstract jargon and
extremely boring.
The FLAVA approach utilizes the tangible and relatable
metaphor of food to explain the abstract concept of
personalities.

It was Albert Einstein, one of history’s
most iconic intellectuals who famously stated, “If you
can’t explain a subject in simple terms, then you do
not understand it well enough.” That basic premise
is at the core of the FLAVA methodology. We have
Page | 37

Introduction: The FLAVA Methodology

taken a complex concept and reduced it to a simple,
easy-to-understand language. The FLAVA approach is
also designed to be fun and engaging.

The focus of this book is not just to explain
personalities. The goal is also to get better results
within your personal and business lives after gaining
knowledge of personalities. Communication is the only
means by which one person can convey thoughts,
plans, goals and strategies to another person.
Personalities have the greatest impact on the
communication process. We must have a better
understanding of both personalities and communication.

We must learn to Listen Differently,
Hear Better and Understand More.

Page | 38

Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand More…

“If civilization is to survive, we
must cultivate the science of
human relationships, the
ability of all peoples, of all
kinds, to live together, in the
same world at peace.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

32nd President of the United States of America

Page | 39

Chapter 1: Comprehensive Communication

Chapter 1
Comprehensive Communication
Did you know that it is estimated U.S.
companies spend more than $350 Billion each year as
a result of personality conflicts between employees?
CPP, Inc. a global leader in personalities and
professional development cites this as hard evidence
that personalities not only impact productivity, but also
the bottom line.
The immortal words of Franklin D.
Roosevelt in his quote on the previous page were
proclaimed nearly one hundred years ago. They are
so relevant to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society that these words could
have been spoken just yesterday.
40 | P a g e

Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

President Roosevelt stated that the
success of the human experience is predicated upon
the quality of our relationships. It is important to
understand that the relationships that Roosevelt spoke
about at that time and even our relationships today
are still driven by the quality of the communication
that supports them. Ordinary people, typical families,
large companies and even the leaders of countries must
communicate. We all communicate to accomplish our
daily tasks and to achieve corporate goals. Even our
community leaders communicate to inform the general
public of routine matters.
The communication process is the single
most important aspect to the success of any endeavor
which requires two or more people to interact. The
worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest plan is useless, if it is not actually
executed. That plan cannot be executed without
communication with others. This even applies to the
simplest and least important of our daily activities, like
placing an order at a drive-thru window. It also applies
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to those more important and life-saving activities, like
performing open-heart surgery. Both types of activities
require more than one person to complete. The
knowledge to complete both activities is readily
available. There must be precise communication during
the activity and there must also be precise execution for
success. Many people desire to improve the results of
their efforts. The communication process must first be
clearly understood to even begin the pursuit of
maximizing performance.

Imagine that in the previous example of the drive-thru
window that your order is slightly misunderstood and
made slightly different than you wanted. The result is a
meal that falls a bit short. As a society, we have come to
expect that result from most fast-food companies.
However, in the example of the open-heart surgery, any
slight failure in communication or execution can be lifethreatening. In a recent article, Time Magazine stated
each day humans make thousands of decisions. Some
estimate as many as 30,000 decisions are made daily.
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Most of these decisions are small and seemingly
inconsequential. Some of these decisions can have a
significant impact on key outcomes in our personal
lives, our businesses and our communities. Imagine the
improvement that would result in making just 3% better
decisions when you consider that you will make more
than one million decisions in a month. Now, consider
that improvement projected over your interactions with
the members of your family, your employees or the
entire company.

This would lead to thousands upon
thousands of better decisions and improved results.
Those results are like the compounded interest of
money. They multiply exponentially upon one another.
Remember, the $350 billion mentioned earlier that
companies are collectively losing because of employee
personality conflicts. Imagine not losing that money,
but making money by leveraging the strengths of
personalities.
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There are many factors that adversely impact and
complicate your communication process with other
people. The differences in the personalities of the
people and the way that those differences impact
communication is potentially the single most
significant factor.
In fact, Forbes.com recently listed
communication as the most important skill needed for
success in the 21st century global marketplace.
Each day, entrepreneurs, corporate managers, and even
parents relay the “message of the day” to their teams.
Most people assume (albeit incorrectly) that their
messages have been well-received because they spoke
with loudness of voice and clarity of thought. They also
assume that afterwards the only thing that the rank-andfile has left to do, is to just follow the clearly-stated
instructions. Unfortunately, communication is a much
more complicated process than most of us realize.
The communication process should be viewed as a
continuum from “non-existent” at its worst to “highly
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effective” or transformational at its best. The World
Literacy Foundation (WLF) published recently in its
report, The Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy, that
20% of the world’s population struggles with illiteracy.
Did you know that illiteracy costs the global
economy approximately $1trillion each year? Yes,
that’s trillion with a “T”. For decades, economists have
analyzed the literacy rates of the populations of thirdworld and emerging countries to assess the impact
those rates have on the gross domestic product (GDP)
of those countries.

As a world community, we understand the significance
of literacy, which is the ability to effectively read, write
and understand an established language. Illiteracy
significantly impacts a country’s ability to perform
effectively and adversely impacts its national
production. That same rationale applies to how the lack
of knowledge about personalities adversely impacts our
abilities to communicate with others.
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Within the FLAVA system, there is a concept
called “Personaracy”. It is the level of fluency by
which people communicate with others through
speaking and understanding the language of the four
different personality types. You would not present a
life-saving, CPR training course in German to a group
of life guards who only spoke the English language.

Obviously, the communication process would be
adversely impacted. Unfortunately, we often do indeed
present critical messages to people daily in a language
they do not understand and we assume that they have
fully received our intended messages. There are more
than 7 billion people on the planet and that number
grows continuously. The world’s population speaks
more than 70 different languages which includes over
one billion different words. All of these languages
with all of these words provide an increased capacity
for us to communicate with one another.
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Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Although people throughout the world use different
languages, they all still have the same basic need to
send and receive information, during the
communication process. Parents have the need to
communicate with their children. Employers have
the need to communicate with their employees.
Entrepreneurs have the need to communicate with
their customers. Unfortunately, communication
often does not yield the end results that we want. If
communication is seemingly so essential and
obviously occurs so frequently, then why is it done
so poorly, so often by so many? An examination of
the communication process below provides some
insight.

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A simple two-way communication process between
two people has a sender, a receiver and of course a
message. The previous image is a depiction of this
process. This communication process is considered
“simple” because it is a straight-forward and basic
system communicating. In the real world,
communication is anything but simple. The process
becomes increasingly more complicated when
“noise” or distractions enter the system. That noise
is also represented by the different personalities and
varied communication styles of the sender and the
receiver.
These personality differences create
other considerations that affect the receiver’s
capacity to interpret the intended message. How
many times have you “heard” what someone has
said to you, but it turned out that they actually
“meant” something else? Often times, messages can
be confusing. This can lead to ineffective and
inefficient teams and less-than-desired results.
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These negative results have led corporations to seek
to strengthen their people, who are their greatest
assets.
Companies spend billions of dollars
each year on employee training. The Association of
Talent Development published that U.S. companies
collectively spend more than $156 billion on
employee learning and development, annually. That
amount is projected to increase each year. It’s also
estimated that companies spend more than 5% of
their billion-dollar annual budgets on employee
training. Why do the world’s largest corporations
spend so much on training? The answer is because
they so desperately need their employees to
perform better. They are all seeking performance
improvement.

An axiom in the consulting industry
states, “Your process is perfectly designed to
produce the results that you are currently getting.”
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If you want to change your results, then change
your process. The fastest car in the world will not
produce the intended results if no one actually
drives that car. Many corporate employee trainings
are expensive and well-intended, but frequently fail
due to lack of acceptance by the employees over a
sustained period of time. Most training fails at the
application-level. Likewise, there have been
previous personality systems in the past. However,
these systems have not truly engaged individuals
and have failed to ultimately drive people to
actually utilize the system over sustained periods of
time. Previous personality methodologies have
been highly-technical, overly-complicated and also
really boring. They have also been difficult to
implement into the average personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily life.
The FLAVA methodology is not new science, it is a
new process and approach to solve the age-old
problem of ineffective communication and performance
improvement. The FLAVA system is easy to understand
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and designed to be utilized by the lay person who
does not need to have a Ph.D. to understand the
system. The simple two-way communication process
mentioned earlier illustrated how “noise” makes that
process more confusing. The FLAVA personality
system helps filter the noise as you translate those
confusing messages into a language that you can
actually understand. Our approach begins by
providing a redefined and expanded explanation of the
aforementioned “simple” communication process. In
the preface of this book, communication is identified as
the catalyst for change. If we want significant
performance improvement, communication must be
transformational.

Typical communication simply conveys a message, but
transformational communication significantly
changes behaviors and outcomes. In the preface of this
book, we also cited how Coach Bear Bryant produced
incredible performance in his players through
transformational communication. The FLAVA
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methodology emphasizes a Comprehensive
Communication style which is defined as a more
expanded concept as compared to the typical view of
the communication process.

The process of communication is the basis of every
human interaction, it is the glue that bind each personal
and business relationship. These relationships drive
outcomes, support the achievement of goals and lead to
the generation of revenue. Through the five elements of
the Comprehensive Communication process and the
FLAVA system, you will learn to Listen Differently,
Hear Better and Understand More.
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Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

An improved communication process produces
improved bottom-line results. Individual people,
Fortune 500 companies and even entire nations have
collectively invested billions of dollars to improve
their communication processes. Even after those
incredible investments, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most powerful
and best educated dignitaries still struggle to
communicate with one another. We only need to look
inside of the hallowed halls of the United Nations which
was founded in 1945. Following World War II, the UN
was established to prevent another such globally-scaled
conflict. Its 193 member nations understand that
improved communication prevents conflicts. Because
communication is so vitally important and so difficult
to do effectively, the United Nations (UN) has an
entire department dedicated to interpreting
communication between its members. The United
Nations Interpretation Service translates speeches
given on the UN floor. The UN spends a great deal of
resources to recruit and train the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best
interpreters. These interpreters are expected to instantly
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recognize, understand and provide the appropriate
word in another language. The interpretersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; range of
subjects for which they interpret is extremely broad,
including politics, legal affairs, social issues and
human rights.
Many world leaders do not speak fluent Russian or
French. However, when they speak at the UN, their
words are instantly translated into various languages.
When these heads-of- state are brought together to
resolve global issues, even in this esteemed group of
people, the process of communication can be
challenging. The members of the UN have nearly
unlimited resources and staffs to assist them in the
communication process. So, why do even they still
have disagreements and so many misunderstandings
between the members of the UN?
It is one thing to comprehend the words that someone
speaks to you. It is quite another to truly understand
the meanings of those words. Gaining that true
understanding is the key to Comprehensive
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Communication. As an average person you obviously do
not have the vast resources or even the personnel of
the United Nations. How then how can you ever hope
to figure it all out? The answer is becoming a
transformational communicator with What’s Your
FLAVA?
Most people’s perspective of communication is
limited only to the act of speaking. They consider a
good communicator as a person who is a good orator.
Communication that is truly transformational is much
more than just the act of speaking. It also involves
each of the five previously mentioned elements of
Comprehensive Communication which also
includes listening.
Consider this, of the thousands of colleges and
universities around the world, very few of them have
a curriculum that requires students to master the skill
of listening. In fact, there are very few courses
anywhere even offered on the subject of listening.
However, students who enter almost any institution
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of higher learning are generally required to write,
speak and give presentations. We are typically given
the opportunity to improve our writing and improve
our speaking skills. Very rarely are we given the
formal training to improve our listening skills or to
have those listening skills evaluated and critiqued.
The FLAVA methodology offers you the means by
which to target your listening skills and to make your
communication with others more effective, more
productive and ultimately transformational.

To be transformational communicators,
we must also change the way that we actually think
and view the world. We must become more observant
of the basic elements within our communication
environment. Our results at home, at work and in the
community can be improved without having to actually
change the elements within our environment or
without even having to add additional resources.
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By just being aware of and recognizing the nuances of
the elements in our surrounding environment, we can
make adjustments in our own actions (Remember, we
control ourselves and influence others). We are then able
to affect and improve outcomes.

The element of observation which is a key aspect of
the comprehensive communication process. The
concept of observation is not new in the problemsolving process. However, it may be viewed as new to
the traditional communication process. Literature
teaches us the power of observation through one of its
most iconic fictional characters, Sherlock Holmes. He
was considered the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest detective. The
Sherlock Holmes series was penned by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes and his sidekick, Dr.
Watson, battled the evil Professor Moriarty.
Sherlock Holmes demonstrated a great sense of
observation and impressive powers of deduction.
Although Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, he
potentially had his genesis in someone that Arthur
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Conan Doyle actually knew both personally and
professionally. Arthur Conan Doyle was a medical
student in the 19th century. One of his professors was
Dr. Joseph Bell. Ultimately, Doyle was selected to be
Dr. Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical assistant on the ward.
One of the things that Doyle quickly learned from
watching Dr. Bell was that he had an extremely keen
sense of perception and also that Bell was very
observant. Dr. Bell could identify very readily if a
patient were a soldier or a sailor by just observing
him for a few moments. If the patient were a sailor, he
would look for tattoos that might indicate where he
had been during his travels. Bell would look for
calluses on the hands to indicate the vocation a person
may have. Dr. Bell would have conversations with his
patients and routinely observe minor things that other
doctors simply overlooked.
Dr. Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s observant behaviors and his characteristics
in the medical professional may seem obvious today,
but in 1877 they were not so obvious. Because of
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Author Conan Doyle’s fascination with the results of
these behaviors, the great detective Sherlock Holmes
was based loosely on Dr. Joseph Bell who used the
power of observation to make a difference.
If we are to become transformational communicators,
we must become more observant during the
communication process. Dr. Joseph Bell saw the
same things that other physicians “saw”. He just
gleaned more information from those things.
Similarly, at the U.N., everyone in attendance can
hear the President of France deliver his speech in
French, but not everyone can understand what is said.
In the real-world communication process, the distinct
differences in our personalities make it difficult for us
to understand one another. But, just like the UN staff
of interpreters, the FLAVA system decodes confusing
messages within the communication process so that
you gain greater understanding. The data gained
during the listening and observing phases is processed
cognitively to provide vital information.
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The FLAVA approach trains you to interpret the data
received. It then allows you to understand exactly
what you should observe and what those observations
actually mean.
Dr. Joseph Bell once stated, “In teaching
the treatment of disease and accident, all careful
teachers must first show the student how to accurately
recognize the case. The recognition depends in great
measure on the accurate and rapid appreciation of
small points in which the disease differs from the
healthy state.”
In this extremely profound quote, it is those “small
points” that Dr. Bell mentions which often occur as we
have conversations with people we find difficult to
communicate with. We may have prematurely “tuned
out” this person due to previous negative encounters.
We either choose to ignore those “small points” or we
are completely unaware of these vital communication
clues. Thinking differently about those “difficult”
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people and their personality traits allows us to glean
key information from those â&#x20AC;&#x153;small pointsâ&#x20AC;?.
Comprehensive Communication goes well beyond the
spoken word. It also includes listening, observing,
thinking and ultimately behaving!

To be transformational communicators, we must not
only speak more effectively, listen more attentively, be
more observant, think very differently but, we must also
ultimately learn to change our own behaviors.

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“You don’t make 500 million
friends without making a few
enemies.”
Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook, CEO

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Chapter 2
Transactionships vs. Relationships___________________
The complex communication process has been made
even more challenging in our society today largely
because we now live in a culture of transactionships
instead of relationships.

The term “transactionship” refers to
interactions between people that are not based upon
sustained or repeated occurrences. Think of
transactionships this way. While traveling on a long
drive across the country, you stop in a small obscure
town to purchase gas at a local gas station. You have
never been in that town before and you have no
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intentions of ever returning to that gas station ever
again. Your purchase is a transaction and your
interaction with the cashier is characterized as a
transactionship.
We are living in a day and age when the internet is
allowing us to communicate much more broadly with
more individuals not just across town, but also across
the world. People routinely use the internet to make
purchases within their own countries and abroad.
Social media has now become such an integral part of
our daily lives that most people cannot get by without
checking social media on an hourly basis.

There are thousands of people who follow celebrities
online and hang on their every word via their twitter
feeds. At one time, the top three most followed
people on Twitter were Katy Perry with 51.3 million
followers, Justin Bieber with 50.2 million followers
and United States President, Barack Obama with 41.9
million followers. These three are members of pop
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cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most noted luminaries, but even the average
person now routinely boasts of having hundreds and
even thousands of followers. We now have the
capacity to instantaneously contact more people than
ever. However, these numerous contacts are not
based on the type of the intimate, long-lasting
relationships which produce repeated high-performing
results.

The advancements in social media
demonstrate that we have improved the science of
mass communication, but through this process we
have lost the art of conversation. As a society, we are
often focused more on the quantity of our
transactionships instead of the quality of our
relationships. Ultimately, the relationship that
exists between people is the key element which
establishes the foundation of all human interactions.
Strong transformational relationships will always
be the source of the greatest amount of change that
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occurs in society. When we develop transformational
relationships, we also build trust, which is built
upon confidence, belief and loyalty.
Productive, reciprocal and transformational
relationships that have significant amounts of trust,
confidence, belief, and loyalty also have a capacity to
resist imperfections and problems. They also have
the capacity to overcome adversity.
Relationship-based communication
instead of transactionship-based communication is a
key factor in performance improvement.
Suppose you have placed an order with an online
supplier to provide products for a very important
event. At the last minute the supplier is unable to
deliver the products on time for the event. You may
decide to never utilize this supplier ever again, or you
may opt to give the supplier another opportunity. Your
decision will rest with whether you have a true
relationship with supplier and not just a convenient
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transactionship. If you have a true relationship with
this supplier similar to the relationships you have
with the people closest to you, small and sometimes
even large problems are overcome by trust and
loyalty. The supplier then gets the opportunity to try
it again.
Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated, “If civilization is
to survive, we must cultivate the science of human
relationships. The ability of all people of all kinds to
live together in the same world at peace.”
Noted author Stephen Covey stated, “Trust is the glue
of life. It is the most essential ingredient in effective
communication. It is the foundational principle that
holds together all relationships.” Think back on the
most successful ventures that you have had in your
personal life, in your professional life and even in
your family. Undoubtedly there were solid, strong
relationships that endured difficulties.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trust is the glue of life. It is
the most essential ingredient
in effective communication.
It is the foundational
principle that holds together
all relationships.â&#x20AC;?
Stephen Covey

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It was Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who
famously once said that he wanted 500 million
friends. It is extremely difficult to have close,
long-lasting transformational relationships with
even 500 people, not to mention with 500 million
people.

Naturally, our time and energy are limited. We must
identify those precious connections and human
interactions that we truly value. Isolate the ones that
are key to our personal, professional and community
success.

These are the relationships which must be
proactively managed. Just as we would prudently
manage our retirement portfolios and invest the
appropriate amounts of money, time and care to
them, we should also invest the appropriate amounts
of time, energy and resources to build transformative
relationships within our lives.
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As we move away from transactionships to
relationships, it is important to understand the
elements of a healthy relationship which will bring us
the results we want and need. Transformational
relationships all contain an inordinately high amount
of an essential element within the FLAVA system
referred to as the Sorghum-Factor. It is an indicator
that refers to any relationshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity to withstand
adversity and problems that will inevitably occur.
Small business owners will encounter a disgruntled
customer at some point. If you are a parent, you are
going to disappoint your child eventually. For each of
us the question is not if, but it is a matter of when
relationships will encounter adversity.

You need a relationship that is built on a
foundation that is able to withstand these difficulties,
not if they arrive, but when they do.

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What’s Your FLAVA?

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Chapter 3: Intro to Personalities, It started with Hippocrates

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is more important to
know what type of
person has a disease,
than to know the type
of disease a person has.â&#x20AC;?
Hippocrates
Father of Medicine, 450 B.C.

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Chapter 3:
Introduction to Personalitiesâ&#x20AC;ŚIt started with Hippocrates
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The science and study of personalities is not new.
Throughout history, there has been an inordinate
amount of academic research amassed on this
subject.
It all started with Greek physician,
Hippocrates, who is often called the father of
medicine. In circa 450 B.C., he identified that all
people can be group into one of four distinct
personality types. This landmark theory has been the
foundation for a myriad of research studies and
empirical evidence on the subject. Yes, Virginia!
People are different.
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This research has continued for centuries with
many others. However, the foundation of the
field is still based upon Hippocratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; belief that
all people could be grouped into one of four
distinct humors or temperaments (personalities):
1. Sanguine

compares to

SPICY FLAVA

2. Choleric

compares to

SALTY FLAVA

3. Phlegmatic

compares to

MILD FLAVA

4. Melancholic compares to TANGY FLAVA
Humors were actually bodily fluids and ancient
physicians believed that these fluids and the amount
of these fluids within a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body, dictated a
person's mood. In modern times, these ancient terms
(sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic & melancholic)
have lost their original meanings. In today's common
language, it is very difficult for us to really
understand what those terms meant and how they
relate to someone we know or even to ourselves. In
contrast, the FLAVA methodology utilizes familiar
terms such as SPICY, SALTY, MILD and TANGY to
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refer to the four personality types. These terms are
food-related and are already a part of the average
person’s frame-of-reference.
Over time, others have followed Hippocrates in the
field of personality study and their newer terms
unfortunately have not become much easier to
understand. Their terms are still esoteric and do not
have a practical basis of application for the
common layperson, today.
In the early 20th century, noted Swiss psychiatrist,
Carl Jung authored his landmark book, Psychological
Types. He provided the modern foundation for the
study of personalities with his work on psychological
concepts, the archetype, and collective unconscious.
Later in the 1970’s, the mother-daughter tandem of
psychiatrists, Katherine Cook-Briggs and Isabel
Briggs-Myers, built upon Jung’s work and they
identified the popular Myers-Briggs type indicator.
Myers and Briggs expanded Hippocrates’ belief and
identified 16 different types of personalities.
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The Myers-Briggs system utilized a series of
four-letter alphabetic codes to identify its 16
different personality types. Although popular
during its time, this system still failed to
provide a user-friendly approach to
personalities. Few people outside of the
psychology community actually understand
what an â&#x20AC;&#x153;INTJâ&#x20AC;? actually means.

In contrast within the FLAVA methodology,
some are referred to as Spontaneously Spicy
which means that they are prone to impulse and
movement. The Spicy personality is visually
represented by the jalapeno pepper icon. With
the FLAVA system you not only get relatable
terms, you also have references that you can
identify with very readily.

More recently, David Keirsey returned back to
the four fundamental types of personalities.
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He noted that the four previously
identified distinct personalities:
• View the world differently
• Process information differently
• Think differently
It is these differences that make communication
between the four personalities extremely
difficult.
The study of personalities is not just an abstract
concept. This information has been applied
successfully in business, industry and in actual realworld situations. In the 1970’s, the United States’
most advanced technological agency, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
utilized a personality assessment tool to select and
reject potential astronaut candidates based upon
their individual personalities and their fit to work in
outer space.
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The same personality methodology implemented by
NASA was also utilized by President Bill Clinton
to structure his political speeches. President Clinton
actually developed his speeches to appeal to the
four different personalities of the people in his
audiences. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder that Bill Clinton was
considered to be a great orator.
Hippocrates knew it, NASA knew it, President Bill
Clinton knew it and now top Fortune 500
companies like previously mentioned eLoyalty
know it.
They all know that the ability to
understand personalities can have a significant
impact on the communication process and will
ultimately improve their performances. This
difference-making knowledge should not only be
for the uber-wealthy and should not be only
reserved for the corporate elite.

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You can now get similar results just like the
large staff of interpreters at the United Nations
who translate foreign languages for political
dignitaries. The FLAVA process interprets the
complicated world of personalities and provides
you, with a simpler concept and with an approach
that is easy to understand.

You don’t have to learn NASA’s rocket science to
positively impact your very own communication
with everyone you encounter. You just have to
understand one of the world’s most common
activities- eating and food! The FLAVA process
utilizes the simple language of food as a metaphor
to explain the complex science of personalities.
Instead of confusing terms like Chloric or
Sanguine, there are simple ordinary terms such as
SPICY and MILD.
In the late 1970’s, Hungarian inventor Erno Rubik
introduced his fascinating 3-dimentional cube to the
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world. It was marketed to masses as having billions of
combinations, but only one solution. In actuality, Rubik’s
cube had more than 43 quintillion combinations. That’s
the number “1” followed by eighteen zeroes. And if you
are checking that’s a lot more than a billion.

Why did Rubik so drastically understate the possible
permutations to his cube? The reason is that people
naturally dislike overly complicated things. The result is
that Rubik’s cube has sold more than 350 billion units
world-wide and is to be best-selling toy in history!

Have you ever wondered why you instantly get along
with some people and not others? Why are some
jobs fun and others are boring to you? Do you find
that certain tasks come easily to you, and others do
not? The answers to those questions are found in
understanding you own FLAVA.

The personality methodologies of the past have made
it extremely difficult to understand the answers to
these questions. Previous methodologies have been
overly-complicated. They have also been difficult to
implement into the average personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daily life.
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As indicated earlier, the science of personalities dates
back to Hippocrates. Since that time, many very
vaunted and highly qualified contributors have added
to the field, from Carl Jung to Myers and Briggs and
many more. The issue is not the science or the
validity of the scientific information. We have had for
many years enough empirical data and evidence to
substantiate that people do in fact have distinct
personality types and that those personality types
compel people to behave, process information and
make decisions differently.
If we have indeed had this information for such a long
time and it has been proven over time, then why is
communicating with people who have different
personalities still so difficult and ineffective?
Even the most advanced and effective tool
on the market will not be readily accepted and utilized
if it is perceived to be too complicated and too
difficult to understand by the ordinary person.
Hipprocrates originally made his findings regarding
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personalities in 450 B.C. During the past 2400 years
many other notable scientific and psychological
luminaries have provided substantial empirical
evidence to support Hippocratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; original assertions.

During all of this time there has not been
significant progress in the direct application of
personalities into our daily lives. Which goes to
show that just merely having scientific
information is not enough, it must also be easy to
use and it must compel people to use it. Even
though we communicate across personalities each
and every day, the problem is a matter of practical
access to the information regarding those
personalities. Remember, we must increase our
personaracy rates (see pg. 46).
History often provides great opportunities to learn
key lessons from real situations. In one such
example, General George Washington and his troops
crossed the Delaware River and camped near
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Trenton, New Jersey overnight during the Battle of
Trenton in the midst of the Revolutionary War.
The opposing, invading British troops were on
American soil and were waging fierce battles. A
notorious British general, Johann Rahl, was at a
British sympathizerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home, one evening playing
cards, enjoying food and spirits. Someone brought
General Rahl an envelope containing vital
information regarding the exact location, size and
armament of George Washington's regiment.
The next day, General Johann Rahl was killed by
Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troops on the battlefield. The curious
thing is that Rahl never knew where Washington's
troops were located the night before.
We know that Rahal didn't know, because the note
that was given to him the previous night which
contained that information was found sealed and still
in his coat pocket. He never opened the envelope. He
never accessed the information!

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Having vital information and accessing that vital
information are two very different things. Iconic
author, John Naisbitt famously stated in his 1982
landmark book, Megatrends, “We are drowning in
information, but thirsting for knowledge.”

The FLAVA system will help quench that thirst by
providing knowledge. Our process will help you learn
how to interpret and translate the exchanges that you
have in the very critical relationships of your personal,
business and community lives. You will learn to
Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand
More while learning to Speak without Words, Hear
without Sound and Listen without Ears.
The elements of personality are at play
every second of the day. It’s just that we have not
been acutely aware of it. Our receptors have not been
in tune well enough to receive and convert the
stimuli into decision-making information and process
it effectively. For instance, humans have a limited
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auditory range which is much narrower than the
range of canines. This fact explains why a dog
whistle emits a sound that is not heard by humans. It
does not mean that the stimulus (sound) is not
present, it means that humans simply do not have the
capacity to receive it. Imagine if fire alarms were
connected to those same dog whistles. A human in a
burning building would never hear the alarm or
stimulus. Therefore, humans will not even have the
opportunity to convert it into decision-making
information and safely exit the building.
There is another practical example of when we often
receive stimuli (visual images), but that stimuli does
not register. Many of us have had the experience of
purchasing a new or used car in the past. After that
purchase as you drove through your daily routine,
you probably began noticing that same model of car
which you just purchased now all around you. It
seems that all day long you are now noticing the
same make and model of car that you are driving. Did
hundreds of other people in your city just
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immediately purchase that same model, at the same
time? Obviously not. Those cars were already on the
road, already around you each day. You just simply
ignored them. You did not notice them although the
“information” was present all around you.
Being acutely aware assists us in our communication
process. Another example is when students take the
comprehension portion of a standardized test. The
students must read a passage then answer several
comprehension-related questions. To prepare for such
exams, students are taught to read all of the questions
before reading the passage. They must first identify
key names, dates and circumstances contained in the
questions. Then they are instructed to go back and
read the passage. Using this strategy, the students are
now looking for specific items, dates, names and
information as they scan the passage. They can now
glean the answers to the key questions more easily as
they quickly scan through the passage.

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Similarly, if you know the key points to
listen for when talking to people of various
personalities, you are then able to focus in and
receive important information that will positively
impact the communication process. You will listen
for the clues. Thereby, gaining much more from that
conversation than you otherwise would have received
without this listening strategy. You will begin to
convert the stimuli into information. The Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Your FLAVA? process helps you to understand what
to listen for and how to interpret it. Just like the cars
on the road that are the same make and model as your
newly purchased car, this information has always
been there. You are now being taught how to actually
recognize, process and convert it into decisionmaking information.

Remember the British General Rahl (pg. 86),
being exposed to the stimuli must be accompanied
by utilizing that information.
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“Food is language. [and] Just
like any other language. It has a
system. It has a structure. It has
references it draws from. And
food has values.”
Eddie Huang, chef & TV host
__________________________________________________

“Trust is the glue of life. It's
the most essential ingredient
in effective communication.
It's the foundational principle
that holds all relationships.”
Stephen Covey, author

The FLAVA system utilizes the most commonly
shared activity in the world to explain personalities.
Food and eating are at the center of most social
interactions. Throughout the eastern hemisphere, the
western hemisphere and even in the most remote
village and obscure towns, you will find that food
brings families and people together. No matter who
you are, or where you live, the language of food is
relatable.
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What’s Your FLAVA? has taken the metaphor of food
and utilized it to explain the nuances of personalities.
FLAVA is just an acronym for:
Feelings
• Likes
• Attitudes
• Values
• Actions
FLAVA represents those emotional, psychological and
•

behavioral elements that are found within each of us.
We each have a distinct personality. FLAVA is just
another way of conceptualizing your personality.
The FLAVA methodology identifies four
personality types representing the four basic
spices found in all cuisine around the world.
1. SPICY
2. SALTY
3. MILD
4. TANGY

If you can understand food and the metaphor of
food, you can understand your FLAVA. You can also
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understand the FLAVA or personalities of others,
such as your family, friends, colleagues, employers,
employees and even your customers.
What’s Your FLAVA? teaches that not
only do people have one of four distinct personalities,
but those personalities drive us to have specific work
styles and approaches. This is why at times it may be
difficult for you to work with someone else who has
a very different personality and work style than you.
If you do not have the capacity to speak that person’s
“language”, it will be difficult for you to have an
effective interaction and produce effective results. If
like at the U.N., you can translate that person’s
language and its messages, then you can get the
information needed and the results you want. We
make it fun, functional and even simple to
understand. We put this seemingly complicated
process into lay-person terms and allow you to
connect, understand and apply the proven science of
personalities.
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What’s Your FLAVA? has taken those same basic
temperaments identified long ago by Hippocrates and
provided you with modern-day terms that are much
more user-friendly descriptors that also encompass
the essence of the four personalities:
SPICY FLAVA is comparable to Hippocrates’ Sanguine temperament
SALTY FLAVA is comparable to Hippocrates’ Choleric temperament
 MILD FLAVA is comparable to Hippocrates’ Phlegmatic temperament
 TANGY FLAVA is comparable to Hippocrates’ Melancholic temperament


The four FLAVA’s have been designed to illustrate the
personality process in a way that's never been done
before. The acronym FLAVA reinforces the fact that
personalities are a composition of our:
Feelings, Likes, Attitudes, Values and Actions

Our individual personalities are predicated upon our
perspectives and the lenses through which we view
the world. Visual depictions such as diagrams and
graphs can provide concrete representations for
abstract concepts like personalities.
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The Personality Steps Diagram below
illustrates how your FLAVA is a combination of
ascending components each built upon the
previous level. It begins with Feelings and their
corresponding emotions on the lowest level and
builds ultimately to Actions and their
corresponding predictable behaviors at the
highest level. Our personalities are built upon
these ascending levels.

FLAVA Personality Steps Diagram

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Feelings = Emotions
The recipe of our personalities begins with our
feelings which in the FLAVA universe are the same as
our emotions. Our feelings are those instinctual core
responses that drive us. An infant who has not even
been influenced by social norms expresses feelings
or emotions. We all have instantaneous positive and
negative responses to particular situations and stimuli.
Feelings, as defined within the FLAVA context, are
those basic emotional elements that distinguish what
we like and what we do not like.
We are also able to discern the feelings and
emotions of others by observing their responses on
a very basic level. Has anyone ever pushed your
buttons by doing something that you did not want?
Have you ever pushed someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buttons by
doing something that they did not want? Is there an
experience or activity that you immediately had a
negative reaction to the very first time that it was
introduced to you? Some people have an instant and
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spontaneous aversion to the concept of bungee
jumping from high places while others love it.
Many people enjoy camping, other people do not.
Some people enjoy the opera, others could not be
dragged to it. Some enjoy crossword puzzles, and
others find them loathsome. Some of those things
may strike up a core of emotional responses. Within
the FLAVA environment, those emotional responses are
referred to as feelings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fâ&#x20AC;? in FLAVA is for Feelings.
If your goal of communicating is to get the best out
of a person, then you would want that person to be
in the best frame of mind, flowing with positive
emotional energy. You want someone who will be
very receptive to your conversation. It is important
to understand how feelings are influential ingredients
of an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality. It's important to be
aware of those elements within the surrounding
environment which evoke feelings and produce
both positive and negative emotional responses.

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Likes = Preferences
The recipe of our personality continues with our
Likes which in the FLAVA universe are the same as our
preferences. More simply stated, Likes are those things
that we prefer. Likes are developed over time as a result
of our basic feelings and emotional history regarding
a specific issue or aspect of our lives. These likes or
preferences are the things that we each desire to do.
There are also things that we do not want to do. And
there are places we do not want to go..

Likes are those inclinations that are sustained over
time. Understanding your Likes helps you to
understand how to evaluate your environment, the
situations where you are most comfortable and the
ones in which you are least comfortable.
If you are communicating with a team member, a
student, a colleague or a customer, it is important to
understand that person's likes/preferences, as well.

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To become a transformational communicator you
must learn to develop reciprocal relationships rather
than transactionships. Then over time, you will
begin to understand the Likes of others. You can
utilize that information to facilitate more effective
conversations. Within the FLAVA environment, those
preferences are referred to as likes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lâ&#x20AC;? in FLAVA is for
Likes. Once you are aware of and understand your
own Likes, you are able to consistently put yourself
in the most effective environments which will lead
to your long-term success.
Attitudes = Beliefs
The recipe of our personality continues with the
ingredient of our Attitudes which in the FLAVA
universe are the same as our beliefs. Attitudes are
those paradigms about which we feel strongly. Attitudes
are developed as a result of those previously
explained Likes (preferences), and Feelings
(emotions) that you have gained over time.
Attitudes (beliefs) are simply the overarching
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themes and thoughts that we have as we approach
any circumstance, situation or encounter. It is
helpful to know the Attitudes/beliefs of individuals
when you sit down to talk with them.

Noted husband and wife, James Carville and Mary
Matalin, often debate during the political season on
national television. It is important to know that
Carville is a staunch Democrat and that Matalin is
staunch Republican.
It is their Attitudes and the stark differences in those
Attitudes that make their spirited conversations
compelling. They each know the otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political
attitudes (beliefs) before entering into a
conversational debate. It is counterproductive if we
sit down to discuss a project, activity or any major
undertaking with someone without observing all of
the information surrounding us. This information
may help us recognize and understand that
individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitudes and belief system.
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Consider the five closest relationships that you have.
Who are the individuals? What do you know about
them? You probably can easily identify the basic
Attitudes (beliefs) of each of these people because
you already know them well. There are probably
things that you could discuss that would strike at
their cores. There are some things that you know
which they are very passionate about.

The more pertinent information you know about a
person’s attitudes (beliefs), the better equipped you
are to effectively communicate with that person.
Those beliefs are referred to as attitudes and “A” is for
Attitudes.

The more you know about your own Attitudes, the
better you are able to even manage yourself. It helps
you to understand your very own metacognitive
process, which is the way in which you learn and
how you process information.
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Values = Principles
The recipe of our personalities continues with the
ingredient of our Values which in the FLAVA universe
are the same as our principles. More simply stated,
they are our convictions. Values are the principles,
those ingredients which are formed as a result the
previous Feelings (emotions), Likes (preferences),
and Attitudes (beliefs).

Values are the fundamental life principles that we
hold dear, such as; honor, ethics, integrity, generosity,
compassion, genuineness and philanthropy, etc. These
are just a few examples of some specific values that
may resonate with you. As you attempt to become
more effective in your relationships, there is a degree
of intimacy and familiarity which must be obtained. If
you want to improve performance through
communication, you must understand the Values of
the person with whom you are communicating.

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In order to effectively understand the
value system of another person, you must first learn
how to understand your own personal value system.
Your values may even be an impediment to you
effectively functioning in some environments. If
you have high integrity values, operating in an
environment whose ethics are questionable may be
a source of constant consternation for you. This
environment may impact your capacity to
communicate and function effectively. Knowing a
personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value system will aid you in effective and
productive communication.
The next diagram is referred to as the FLAVA
Personality Eyesberg TM. It is another one of those
visual depictions to help illustrate the abstract concept.
Our personalities have the aforementioned ingredients
that are built one upon the other. Ultimately, those
ingredients can provide critical decision-making
information.
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The ingredients of Feelings, Likes, Attitudes and Values
are intangible and are not seen outwardly. The
Personality Eyesberg illustrates that just as most of an
actual iceberg is concealed out of sight, most of the
elements of an individual’s personality are concealed
and are not visually seen. Our Feelings, Likes,
Attitudes and Values are out of “eye” sight as
depicted by the FLAVA Personality Eyesberg TM.

The only parts of our personalities that
can be seen with the eyes are Actions.
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Actions = Behaviors
The recipe of our personality concludes with the
final ingredients which are our Actions which in the
FLAVA universe are the same as our behaviors.
Actions are the things that we actually do! Our
sustained and repeated Actions become our
behaviors which are the physical manifestations of
our Feelings, Likes, Attitudes and Values.

The other ingredients of our personality are all
internal. They are things that we feel, think and what
we believe. It is ultimately all about what we
actually do. Performance improvement only occurs
when Actions improve and become more effective.
This is where the rubber meets the road.

Until we get to the Actions, the other ingredients of
the personality, the Feelings, Likes, Attitudes and
Values are all internal and nebulous; they are
evaluated subjectively by others. The
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Actions are what the world observes. Actions are
actually the things that need to be done. This is
where we can affect the improvement of
performance and communication.
Your FLAVA (personality) starts with feelings/
emotions, but it ends with actions/behaviors.
Improved actions and improved behavior, give you
improved outcomes. If you want to improve or
change the behavior of people, it starts with
understanding their feelings, likes, attitudes, values
and actions, or their FLAVA. Understanding and
communicating effectively based upon these
elements, leads to effectively facilitating positive and
desired actions. If you want to have different
behaviors or actions, you must look back at your
feelings, likes, attitudes and values.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Variety is the very spice
of life that gives it its
entire flavor.â&#x20AC;?
William Cowper

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Chapter

6: Clarifying the Concept

_________________________________________________________________

The human brain is the cradle that spawns our distinct
personalities. While we are all different, there are some
similarities that we share. Science has proven that there
are different types of learners, the popular VARK
model identifies that some people are Visual, Auditory,
Read/Write and Kinesthetic learners. Even though, we
have a predominate learning style, we still receive data
through the other styles and the brain still learns from
those styles also. The Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA?
methodology incorporates multiple components that
subtly appeal to the visual, auditory, reading and
kinesthetic learner in each of us.
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The science and the sentiments regarding study of
personalities appeals to people differently. But,
remarkably, the participants who have experienced the
Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? approach comment about the
simplicity of the methodology and how easily relatable
the concept is. It is designed to simply and quickly
explain our personalities. And the iconic FLAVA
Windowpane provides a 30-second presentation of
personalities. Obviously, we are not claiming to explain
all there is about the very expansive study of
personalities in just a few seconds. We can explain all
you need to know to begin your journey of
improvement in just a few minutes. No system has been
able to do before.
An â&#x20AC;&#x153;elevatorâ&#x20AC;? speech is a concise explanation of a
product, service or organization that can be shared
during an elevator ride. With that in mind, our
FLAVA Windowpane presents several visually appealing
images and verbiage into a single compact icon. Each
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of the four panes include the following the four
components:
1. Descriptor
2. Motto
3. Icon
4. Color
The image below identifies the components of the
What’s Your FLAVA? Windowpane.

1.

Descriptor

2.

Icon

3.

Color

4. Motto
•

The Windowpane Components

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The Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? approach is based on the
validation of hundreds of years of research of
personalities by a myriad of the experts some of
whom were mentioned previously. The first five
chapters provided the foundation for understanding
personalities and the FLAVA concept. Now, we will
look at the various components of the system and
how they subtly work together to reinforce key
concepts. The information can be applied to improve
your communication within practical daily activities
and relationships.

The next section of this book is where we put this
science into action. It will serve as your hands-on
interpreterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to understanding personalities.
The FLAVA system is designed to teach the unknown
by referencing the known. We use a series of wellestablished visual triggers and recognizable icons to
remind you of personality keys. Additionally, there
are verbal triggers that also reinforce the elements of
the personalities. It is learning without the burden of
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consciously memorizing things that may not be
interesting to you. In the early 1970’s, there was an
ad campaign that featured a jingle which began “My
bologna has a first name that’s O-S-C-A-R and my
bologna has a second name that’s …..” I am sure you
can finish the jingle if you were born before 1975
(google it if you were born after 1975). The point is
that learning occurs even if we are not consciously
trying. This jingle is more than 40-years old and
many of you can still quote it from memory. The
FLAVA system utilizes that same amazing ability of
the human brain to subconsciously retain bits of
information when reinforced in a variety of
subliminal ways.
Overview of the Personality Self-Assessment:
Your FLAVA can be easily determined by
completing our quick and easy-to-use FLAVA
Personality Self-Assessment. We have included
actual assessments later in this chapter for you to
complete. A free online version of the assessment is
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also available at www.whatsyourflava.net. Each of
us typically has one of the four FLAVA personality
types that is more predominant. It is considered our
Central FLAVA. Our self-assessment tool is similar to
other personality inventories that are already proven and
are in use. It is not our goal to create new science. It is
to help you understand and apply generations of
proven science.

Once you have successfully identified your FLAVA,
the critical information outlined in the upcoming
pages will help you better understand yourself and
your communication style. It will also help you
recognize and understand the FLAVAs of others. This
powerful information can then be applied to your
communications within all daily activities and
relationships in every aspect of your business,
personal and social life.

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Overview of the Windowpane:
The windowpane is designed to give you a
comprehensive image that visually depicts the entire
concept of What’s Your FLAVA? The four
components of each FLAVA are represented in the
windowpane. Each personality has its own individual
section or pane in the window. The specific panes are
pictured on the first page of that FLAVAs section later
in this chapter.

Overview of the Descriptor:
Technically speaking, the Descriptor is just a
simple adverb which describes a specific action or
behavioral tendency of each FLAVA. Each adverb
has been selected because it truly captures in just
one word the essence of the respective personality.
Whether it’s Spontaneous, Seriously, Meditatively
or Technically, each gives a quick summation of its
respective FLAVA. Without any previous technical
knowledge of the field of personality study or
without referencing Hippocrates’s ancient and
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fundamental theories, with just one word the FLAVA
method conveys a virtual cornucopia of insight. We
are seeking not just to identify a person’s
personality type, but also convey predictable
behaviors that are associated with that personality.
The descriptor provides an instant auditory learning
que and reinforcement. It also accesses our long-term
memory by evoking images of specific behaviors
when you read or hear the terms Spontaneous,
Seriously, Meditatively and Technically.
• “Spontaneously”

SPICY

• “Seriously”

SALTY

• “Meditatively”

MILD

• “Technically”

TANGY

The descriptor also helps to explain what drives
people into action. Remembering the descriptor of
a specific person helps you to understand the mind
of that person, which drives the action.

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Overview of the Icon:
What the Descriptor accomplishes in just one
word, the FLAVA Icon accomplishes in just one
image. Each personality is assigned a unique
visual icon which correlates to information that we
already know about that image. Instead a long
and arduous process of attempting to teach you a
great deal of new information about an unfamiliar
subject, our methodology reassigns what you
already know about the image. These icons are
classic food items that are easily recognized
throughout all cultures. When the icon is associated
with one of the personality types, it makes the
personality and its unique traits easy to remember.
The Tea Leaves represent the MILD personality and
they have many inherent calming properties and are
associated world-wide with a Zen state-of- mind. It
was Dale Carnegie in 1936 who taught the world
through his legendary book, How to Win Friends
and Influence People, to use name association to
remember the names of the people that you meet.
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With that in mind, Spontaneously Spicy personality
is represented by the Jalapeno Pepper, Seriously
Salty personality is represented by the Salt Shaker,
Technically Tangy personality is represented by the
Lime Wedge and Meditatively Mild personality is
represented by the Tea Leaves.

When we hear the icon spoken, because it is a known
food item, we are able to remember it, even the scent
associated with it. We can recall the feel and the
taste of it. We then associate those previously
learned experiences and retained memories with that
FLAVA personality type which reinforces a very
salient picture.
Overview of the Color:
A virtually immeasurable amount of historical
research has shown that color plays a pivotal role in
all of our visual experiences. Each FLAVA has a
specifically designated color. Like with the Icon, that
color also helps you to associate attributes that you
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already connect with that color to the FLAVA
personality type.

When we look at nature as our reference, we see that
Red is a color of energy and dynamism which is a
logical connection to the Spontaneously Spicy
personality. White is a color of stability. Green is a
color of tranquility in the natural world. And Orange
is a color that evokes inquiry and does not blend in.
• SPICY

RED

• SALTY

White

• MILD

Green

• TANGY

Orange

Overview of the Motto:
Finally, the motto ties it all together in one succinct
phrase. Like the other components, each motto
encapsulates the essence of its corresponding FLAVA
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Chapter 6: Clarifying the Concept

personality type . It is only three words because it is
intended to be brief and easy to remember. Each
year, companies spend almost $200 million in the
U.S. on advertising. Their goal is to communicate
attributes about their products through catchy
slogans. Customers are not expected to know
everything about Coca-Cola after a few 30-second
commercials, but they remember that “Coke Is It”.

Similarly, we do not expect you to know
everything about a person’s personality after just
reading a few chapters, but it is easy to remember
the three-word mottos. Each begins with the same
first two words—“Keep it”. Then they all end with a
different third word. It is that word which is the singleword embodiment of the force that drives that FLAVA.
• SPICY FLAVA

“Keep it- Moving”

• SALTY FLAVA

“Keep it- Real”

• MILD FLAVA

“Keep it- Calm”

• TANGY FLAVA

“Keep it- Clear”

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Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Chapter

7: The FLAVA Pages

_________________________________________________________________

In the upcoming chapter of the FLAVA pages, specific
information is provided about the four FLAVAs and
their attributes, their tendencies at work and during
their childhood and even their decision-making
processes.

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Overview of the Attributes:
The Attributes are a quick listing of the primary
characteristics associated with each FLAVA
personality. Some of the traits may resonate with
you more than others, but generally these references
create a quick general image of the SPICY, SALTY,
TANGY and MILD personalities.
This Attributes section will allow you to compare
some of your own personality attributes to the ones
listed. This will help to confirm your selfassessment results. You will also be able to roughly
assess the FLAVAs of your friends, colleagues and
family members even before they complete an actual
self-assessment.
Overview of the FLAVA Point-of-View
This section provides a written summary of each
personality. The verbiage is strong and revealing. A
review is then given in a first-person viewpoint from
the SPICY, SALTY, TANGY and MILD personalities.
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This easy-to-read perspective acquaints you with the
FLAVAs in a fun and personal way. You are sure to
picture yourself, a friend or manager as you read.
FLAVA in Childhood
Historical research indicates that our personalities
are established early and are evident even in our
childhood. Think about your siblings or a
childhood friend. There are probably very distinct
characteristics that you remember which are still
very much a part of their personas today. The
Childhood section provides you with insights about
the four FLAVAs during their youth. You will be
driven to remember your days as a SPICY, SALTY,
TANGY or MILD child. This flashback is sure to
bring a smile on your face as you have a few “oh,
that’s why” moments about your childhood. You
may also be able to quickly identify the FLAVA of
your own child, and positively impact your family
dynamic forever.
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FLAVA at Work
The work or business environment is a critical part
of most individuals’ lives. This section will give you
a quick overview of the FLAVAs in a work
environment. You may be able to recognize your
manager or your favorite co-worker in one of these
descriptions.
FLAVA in Decision-making
The purpose of communication is to convey
information from one person to another. Sometimes
it is also intended to be persuasive. During the
communication process, the receiver is analyzing
the sender’s message and making decisions
throughout the conversation. Personalities
influence how we are led to make decisions.
Our FLAVAs inspire us to make decisions in
different ways. Meditatively Mild personalities make
decisions with their “Hearts”. Technically Tangy
personalities use their “Heads” instead. While
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Seriously Salty personalities are led by their
“Hands”. Last, Spontaneously Spicy rely on their
“Hunches” and intuition to make their decisions.
FLAVA Tips for Communicating
This section provides an immediate impact on the
communication process of every relationship that
you have. If the communication relationship is bad,
these tips can put you on a path to make it good. If
the communication relationship is already good,
these tips will help you to make it great. You will
receive suggestions as to how to get the very best out
of that individual, no matter what communication
scenario you find yourself in.

You will also be reminded of those things that make
you tick or just simply tick you off. Remember,
information is powerful. Now that What’s Your
FLAVA? has equipped you with valuable
information and the proper tools, you are ready to
build better communication relationships.
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Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

It is now time to discover
the FLAVA of your personalityâ&#x20AC;¦

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Listen Differently, Hear Better and Understand Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? Self-Assessment Directions
1. Review all 4 boxes in each of the 5 rows. Do not
overanalyze each word. Just get a general sense of each box
(A through T). See completed example on page 92.
2. Score each of the four boxes horizontally from most to least
like you: 4 = most, 3 = a lot, 2 = somewhat, 1 = least

There can only be one of the above numbers in each of
the five rows. When added each row should equal 10
3. After you complete the entire inventory, use the legend in
each FLAVA box to score your inventory. Each of the 20
boxes is assigned a letter and the letters correlate to the
legend at the end of the inventory.
4. In the SPICY square in the FLAVA recipe row, add
boxes A, H, K, N, S. The total number once added is
your SPICY score.
5. In the SALTY square in the FLAVA recipe row, add
boxes B, G, I, M, T. The total number once added is your
SALTY score.
6. In the MILD square in the FLAVA recipe row, add boxes
C, F, J, O, and R. The total number once added is your
MILD score.
7. In the TANGY square in the FLAVA recipe row, add
boxes D, E, L, P, and Q. The total number once added
is your TANGY score.
The FLAVA box with the highest number is your
Central FLAVA
We have included two blank FLAVA assessments on the following
pages. One assessment is for you and the other is for you to share.

SPICY personality symbolizes dynamism. It is an
engaging physical presence that is effusiveness and
passionate. In conceptual terms, it is energy personified.
It epitomizes intensity and all forms of
competitiveness. People with this personality type
have a compulsion for action and achievement,
activism and creative pursuits.
Those with SPICY as their Central FLAVA are driven
to attain goals, to achieve, to win. They are drawn to
situations that provide a “positive” charge.
From the SPICY Point-of-View:
I am spontaneous by nature and make decisions

quickly compared to most people. I see the big picture
in life’s situations and I love a challenge. I am very
competitive and achievement-oriented. Details bore
me and I prefer situations that allow me to be around
others. I have a quick wit and I seem to draw others to
me in all situations. I bring an incredible energy to
everything that I do. I value creativity, courage and
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flexibility. I am best in the midst of a crisis. I love the
spotlight and I am typically the one you want when
the heat is on. I have a magnetic and impactful
persona. I need variety, challenges and prefer
situations that provide action and energy. I am at my
best when the pressure is on and course is uncertain.
SPICY in Childhood
â&#x20AC;˘ I was the type of child who utilized
creativity and imagination at play. I
preferred to draw outside of the lines. I was
often the center of attention and a born
entertainer. I was often very influential and
viewed as fun to be around.

â&#x20AC;˘ As a student, I preferred the answer to the
problem without the tedious steps to solve it. I
would prefer to turn to the last page of a book
to find out how the story ends.

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Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

SPICY at Work
•

I work best in relaxed and unstructured
environments. I am motivated by situations
and appeal to my creative talents and my
sense of improvisation. I respond to
competitive occasions and love variety and
the attainment of goals.

•

I am comfortable in the brilliance of the spotlight. I
often work better alone than with someone whose
workstyle may restrict my impulsive nature.

SPICY in Decision-Making
Spontaneously Spicy personalities rely on their
“Hunches”. They are impulse-driven people who make
decisions relatively quickly especially compared to the
other FLAVAs. They make decisions with far less concrete
information than most. Decisions are frequently made
intuitively and based upon their “gut”. Their decisions are
made with more weight placed upon the ultimate end-goal
and its impact while far less consideration is given to the
process to achieve the goal.
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SALTY symbolizes a strong desire to connect and to
be accountable in the various aspects of life. In
conceptual terms, SALTY is reliability and stability
personified. It epitomizes dependability and
predictability during all situations both positive and
negative. SALTY generates a compulsion for
predictability, assurance and trustworthiness by
providing continuity throughout the family or group.
It embraces home and family with huge dedication.
Those with SALTY as their Central FLAVA are
compelled to provide structure, achieve results, to be
accountable, to complete the task at hand. They are
drawn to environments that are structured and stable.
They believe in personal accountability and that
everyone should participate and contribute.
From the SALTY Point-of-View:
I prefer structured environments and I recognize
authority. I not only adhere to rules but will also
enforce them. I willingly accept responsibility and
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Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

want to make contributions to the group. I am
pragmatic, organized and prefer predictable routine. I
am dependable, prepared and punctual.
SALTY in Childhood
• I adjusted to the rules and structure of
the academic environment better than
most students. I not only followed the
rules, I believed others should also.
• I found structure in educational environments
comforting and respected and rarely challenged
authority.
SALTY at Work
• I embrace responsibility and I am extremely
dependable and will often complete assignments
before the deadline. I gain a sense of satisfaction
from being a part of an effective team. I set high
standards for myself and do not require a lot of
recognition, but find fulfilment in a job done
well.
• I am extremely organized and I retain copious
records because details are vitally important to
me. I seek clarification of team goals and want
clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
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• I am structure-driven in my decision-making.
Therefore, I solve problems and plan work-related
activities with a consideration for the overall rules
and requirements of the operating environment. I
base decisions upon concrete, realistic
information and evidence. I rarely improvise and I
consider the ethos of the team when making
decisions.
SALTY in Decision-Making
Seriously Salty personalities are led by their
“Hands”. Salty FLAVA are those people who are
structure-driven. “Hands” in this context, refers to
their sense of realism. They believe in what they
actually can touch and prefer the concrete over the
abstract. They utilize order, rules and authority as
the bases for their decisions. Most of their decisions
are formulated as they consider the well-being of
the community at-large and the systems that are
required to maintain those communities in an
orderly fashion.

MILD symbolizes tranquility, peace and calmness
throughout life’s dynamics, but especially within
human relationships. In conceptual terms, it is
serenity personified. It epitomizes thoughtfulness
and empathy of the human condition. This
personality type engenders compassion, empathy
and concern. It is self-less and seeks success,
safety and security of others before itself.
Those with MILD as a Central FLAVA value
balance and harmony. They prefer lives free from
tension... settled, united, and secure.
From the MILD Point of View:
I am warm and compassionate. I encourage
others. I look for the silver lining in life. I am easy
to talk to and very approachable. I need to add
value and want deep and abiding relationships. I
prefer tranquility and I am often the “voice of
reason”. Others view me as the glue that often
holds relationships, families and teams together. I
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seek harmony and I value fair and equitable
solutions. I am a natural giver and I am often the
“voice” of the people.
MILD in Childhood:
• I was very friendly and was willing to share.
I maintained early friendships for long
periods of time.
• I was extremely sensitive to the plight and
circumstances of others. I was at ease in most
situations, but disliked discord and strife.
• I was motivated more through
encouragement and support rather than
ardent competition.

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Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

MILD at Work:
• I value opportunities that allow me to
support others to improve their human
condition.
• I am drawn to professions that aid and
support like education, therapy,
medicine, social sciences and the arts.
MILD in Decision-Making
Meditatively Mild personalities make decisions
with their “Hearts”. Mild FLAVA are relationshipdriven people. They focus on the human factor
first and foremost throughout their lives. Most
decisions are predicated upon the impact that the
decision will have upon people.

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Quick Summary

Descriptor: TECHNICALLY TANGY
Icon:

Lime Slice

Color:

Orange

Motto:

Keep it Clear

Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

TANGY Attributes:
• Has a strong sense of curiosity
• Questions authority
• A perfectionist
• Logic drives decision-making
• Prefers concise communication
• May be perceived as detached
• Delivers answers and resolutions
• Enjoys problem-solving
• Often values work over play
• Prefers autonomy in the creative process
• Can be slow to make a decision
• Maintains high standards of quality
• Prefers self-management
• Enjoys the process of learning
• Stimulated by intellectual
conversations
• Attracted to intellectual pursuits
• Is a linear and logical thinker
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TANGY symbolizes the human pursuit of
knowledge and information. In conceptual terms,
TANGY is the personification of our intellect
and curiosity. It epitomizes innovation the pursuit
of perfection. They are more comfortable in facts
and data than feelings and emotions. They
challenge authority and the established processes.
Those with TANGY as their Central FLAVA are
motivated by finding solutions, questioning
authority and proving the abstract.
The TANGY Point-of-View:
I use data and facts to make decisions. I am a person
who is driven by logic which means I make decisions
with my head, typically not with the heart. It is hard
for me to buy-in to a course of action that is not
logical to me. I need acceptable explanations from
others especially authority. I am often perceived as
someone who marches to my own beat. I am curious
and enjoy the abstract pursuing the unconventional.

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Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

TANGY in Childhood:
• In school, I was probably the most
misunderstood of all of the types of students
because of my reserved nature. I was often
perceived as having a lack of interest. Instead, I
was more intrigued by the theoretical and
abstract rather than the typical concepts.
• I was not as responsive to traditional pedagogical
instruction. Rather, I preferred to analyze things
and to discuss how things worked. I asked a lot of
questions, sometimes too many for the teacher.
TANGY at Work:
• I view my work as play. I form my own
opinions and I do not always conform to the
norm.
• I prefer an environment that allows me to
pursue my desire to test theories, assess ideas
and to establish systems.

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• I enjoy constant challenges. Once I have solved
the problem, I would rather others implement
the solution.
TANGY in Decision-Making
Technically Tangy personalities use their “Heads”
and are cognitive-driven people. They seek facts,
data, details and statistics which are reviewed
logically and systematically. Their decisions are
results of the deliberate equations from intellectual
assessments.

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Chapter 7: The FLAVA Pages

FLAVA INDIGESTION
Sometimes too much of the wrong food can cause
indigestion which can be accompanied by physical
pain and discomfort. Similarly, each FLAVA has
attributes that if not carefully managed, can cause
unwanted FLAVA “indigestion” and personality pain
and discomfort for other people.
These behaviors make it difficult for people to “digest”
that specific personality and to communicate with that
individual. It is important to understand that these
behaviors may not be intentional, but there are still
unintended consequences if they are not managed.
Effectively managing our tendencies that may be
difficult for others to digest, will aid in effective
communication with our families, co-workers,
acquaintances and friends. The following lists will
identify a few behaviors to avoid for each of the
four FLAVAs. The more you avoid these triggers,
the less Personality indigestion you will cause.
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SPICY INDIGESTION TRIGGERS
• Over assertiveness leading to a perception of being impolite
• Impatience with rules leading to circumventing structured protocols
• Ad lib- style too unpredictable for coworkers

SALTY INDIGESTION TRIGGERS
• Structured approach may clash with more creative individuals
• Strict adherence to procedures may be perceived as inflexible
• Strong tendencies to routines may inhibit creativity

MILD INDIGESTION TRIGGERS
•

Deferential style may irritate some

• Concern for the human condition may impact decision-making
• Insistence on harmony may create conflict in some environments

TANGY INDIGESTION TRIGGERS
•

Concise communication may be perceived as unfriendly

•

Ongoing pursuit of more information may delay decisions

•

Prefers the big picture and abstract pursuits and may be less
effective in tangible, detailed situations

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Chapter 8: The FLAVA Rule of Communication

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? TM

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;If variety is the spice of life,
then our personalities must be
its FLAVA!â&#x20AC;?
Samuel P. Hall

It all comes down to the irrefutable fact that we
must adjust the way we communicate to improve
the relationships that power our lives.

Change can be uncomfortable. The FLAVA approach
provides a system to make the change in your
communication style easier for you to implement.
With this system, you have all that you need to
create better relationships in your families, on your
jobs and within your social lives.
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You don’t need better people or even more resources
to accomplish this, you just need to implement a
better communication process. According to
Forbes.com, the most vital attribute for succeeding in
the 21st century global marketplace is communication
skills. Communication is key.

The famous Golden Rule states, “Do
onto others as you would have them do unto you.”
However, our system operates by the FLAVA Rule of
Communication which is, “Communicate onto others
as they would have you to communicate unto them.”
Dr. Andrea Oliver touched on this principle in her
insightful forward of this book. Many leaders of
large-scale entities periodically attempt to facilitate
major organizational change and they realize that a
thorough communication strategy is essential to the
change process.

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Chapter 8: The FLAVA Rule of Communication

However, what many of those leaders fail to realize is
that change on the organizational (macro-level) and
on the departmental (micro-level) both begin with
changing the individual people who comprise the
whole.

Organizations and individuals must
progress through the three stages of change as
illustrated in the diagram below.

Masala 3-stages of Organizational Transition (change)

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Our personalities influence how we are led to make
decisions. The four FLAVAs inspire us to make
decisions in four different ways. Nobel Prize
winner, Daniel Kahneman explains in his revealing
book, Think Fast and Slow, the complexities of
human decision-making and how that process is
constant under different circumstances.

The FLAVA methodology teaches that the human
decision-making process is inspired and affected by
our Human Optics which are those â&#x20AC;&#x153;lensesâ&#x20AC;? that the
four personalities use to view and process data. We
eventually covert that data into necessary
information to make decisions. The lightbulbs in the
next graphic denote different parts of the human
anatomy where the optics symbolically reside. It is
obvious that the parts of the human body are
different from one another, and the four optics that
inspire our decisions are just as different from one
another.
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Those four optics (also called the 4Hs of
decision-making) are labeled the Head, the Heart,
Hunches and the Hands.

Once we have sufficient information, we then
proceed on a journey to make a decision. The 4Hs
represent the four roads that we metaphorically
travel as we analyze information and complete the
decision-making process. A familiar and routine
thought process for making a decision to some may
be a completely foreign and inconceivable road to
others.
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The four personalities not only affect the amount of
time that a person actually takes to complete the
decision-making process, but also impact how long
it takes before some people even initiate the
decision-making process at all.

It is critically important to understand how and why
different people make decisions and what they need
to complete the process. The Sales industry has
leveraged this concept for years. There are
numerous variations of the Sales Decision-Making
model. Some of those approaches have taken the
personality of the purchaser into consideration.
Those models and approaches have been focused on
“sales” exclusively. Daniel Kahneman, states that
the way we make decisions is a fixed process which
is applied throughout various scenarios in our lives.
Therefore, the decision-making process that we
utilize to make an actual purchase in a store is the
same that we use to make other “purchasing”
decisions. We are, in fact, deciding whether we will
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“purchase” what someone is “selling” during a
routine communication exchange.

Meditatively Mild personalities make decisions
with their “Hearts”. Mild FLAVA as we have stated
previously are relationship-driven people. They
focus on the human factor first and foremost
throughout their lives. Many of their decisions are
predicated upon the impact that the decisions will
have upon people.
Technically Tangy personalities use their “Heads”
instead. Tangy FLAVA are cognitive-driven people.
They seek facts, data, details and statistics which
are reviewed logically and systematically. Their
decisions are the results of the deliberate
assessments from intellectual considerations.
While Seriously Salty personalities are led by their
“Hands”. Salty FLAVA are those people who are
structure-driven. “Hands” refers to their sense of
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realism. They believe in what they actually can
touch and prefer the concrete over the abstract.
They utilize order, rules and authority as the bases
for their decisions. Most of their decisions are
formulated as they consider the well-being of the
community at-large and the systems required to
maintain the community in an orderly fashion.

And Spontaneously Spicy personalities rely on their
“Hunches”. Spicy FLAVA are those who are
impulse-driven people. They make decisions
relatively quickly especially compared to the other
FLAVAs. Those decisions are made with far less
concrete information. Decisions are frequently
made intuitively with their “gut”. Their decisions
are made with more weight placed upon the
ultimate end-goal and its impact while far less
consideration is given to the process to achieve the
goal.

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Transformational leaders who understand FLAVA
and the nuances of decision-making will seek to
craft messages and communication strategies that
are broad enough to appeal to each of the four
Optics also called the four Hs. There are times
when leaders have been told to speak to the “hearts”
of their people, but what if some of their people
actually “listen” with their “heads” instead?

Transformational leaders learn through
FLAVA to truly speak to the Heart, the Head, the
Hands and even to the Hunches of all of their
people because transformational leaders learn that
people “hear” without ears.

Additionally, leaders often concern themselves with
their organizations’ strategic goals. Those leaders
logically know that they need their people to
complete a multitude of vital tasks to accomplish
their goals. These leaders also spend an inordinate
amount of time considering their leadership styles
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and projecting the proper image to instill
confidence in their people. However, far too few of
those leaders ever consider “followership” versus
“leadership”. No matter how strong the leader is
and no matter how solid the plan actually is, the
leader and the plan are destined to fail if those who
follow are unable or incapable of traveling the
“road” to success that the leader has proclaimed.

Followership is much more of an impactful element
in the formula for success than leadership.
Followership relates to the individual person’s
inspiration, conviction and commitment to travel
the road ahead. Some disagree with this assertion
and believe that leadership is far more important
than followership. Granted, in our society today,
there is a premium placed upon leadership
positions. For instance, star quarterbacks are by far
the highest paid players in the NFL. Corporate
CEO’s are often paid thousands of times more than
their lowest paid employees. Through this evidence,
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many often conclude that those key positions are far
more impactful on the ultimate success of the
group, which in the above cases are the football
team and the corporation. Imagine a group, team or
company where everybody is equally motivated,
equally equipped and equally trained to do his or
her job.

Consider this scenario. Imagine if you found yourself
to be one of twenty survivors desperately stranded in
a life boat in the middle of the ocean. One of the
other 19 people informed the group that the lifeboat
is taking on water and it is sinking. The group is also
informed that there are 20 pails on board. How long
do you think it would take before everyone is bailing
water? In this case, every person in the lifeboat has
the proper inspiration, conviction and commitment to
travel the “road” of bailing water. In this case,
followership is more important than leadership. The
question for today’s leaders is, “How do they bestow
that ‘lifeboat’ mentality to their people?” The short
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answer that leads to the solution is that the people
have different “pails” and they have different
motivations for “bailing” the water. In the previous
examples, the owner of the football team would
prefer to have the other 10 players on the field to be
more capable of winning the game than they are
presently. Also, the corporate owners (stockholders)
would prefer that all employees were able to be more
productive than they are presently and improve
corporate performance. To accomplish both of those
plateaus, they must first do a better job of an old
childhood game called “Follow the Leader”. In this
case to dramatically improve performance, it is truly
more about followership instead of leadership.

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“Do onto others as you
would have them do unto
you.”
The Golden Rule

____________________________

“Communicate onto others
as they would have you to
communicate unto them.”
The FLAVA Rule of Communication

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The FLAVA Rule of Communication is a
foundational principle of our communication
system which is predicated upon this sentiment.
The FLAVA Methodology is “others-centered.”
When you prepare in advance to communicate
with people in ways that they prefer and receive
more acceptingly, you are poised for a more
productive exchange and dialogue.
Each person has a Central or primary
FLAVA, but we also each have a Complementary
or secondary FLAVA. We all are a full spectrum of
the four FLAVAs. There is some amount of each of
the FLAVAs within all of us.
In the preface of this book, we introduced the Masala
Principle. In Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, there
is a limited set of basic spices. A chef’s prowess is
determined by how well she or he is able to blend
those basic spices into virtually unlimited
combinations. So, in Indian cuisine, the term
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“masala”, refers to the ability to take spices and blend
them artfully to get the exact results you desire.

Likewise, skillfully blending human talent together
requires an artful touch – or as we call it, the Masala
Management Philosophy which can be applied to
communicating with the various FLAVAs. Our next
book will address this concept in great detail and
provide you with more insights into the FLAVA
world.
Now that you know your FLAVA or personality,
that information can be applied in communication
within practical daily activities and relationships:
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•
•
•
•
•

Personal
Family
Friends
School
Teams
Business

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•
•
•
•
•
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Community
Academic Institution
Church
Military
& More


Speak without Words, Hear without Sound and Listen without Ears

Bonus
Sections
As we conclude with Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? the first in
the three-book series, we wanted to give you a sneak
peek into the next book.

The bonus section introduces key concepts that will be
more expansively addressed -The Masala Principle.

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? TM

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Amazingly, few people know how they
get things done. Indeed, most of us do not
even know that different people work
and perform differently.
Too many people work in ways that are
not their ways, and that almost
guarantees nonperformance.
Like one's strengths, how one performs is
unique. It is a matter of personality.â&#x20AC;?
Peter Drucker, author & business icon

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Bonus

1: The Job at Hand

Bonus section

1: The Job at Hand

During some of the human resources courses that I
have taught over the years and even during my
consulting practice, I have asked students and
executives alike, “Is it better to hire a squirrel or a
thoroughbred?”
It is a “loaded” question. My intent is to incite a lively
debate among the group. Quickly the room divides
into two sides—the “Squirrels” and the
“Thoroughbreds”. I then ask them to defend their
respective positions and justify their decisions.
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Over the years, I have received very creative answers
regarding the attributes of the furry-tailed, acrobatic
rodent compared and contrasted to the speedy and
powerful steed.

However, there is unquestionably only one correct
answer-- It depends upon the job at hand. The
question of whether you should hire a squirrel or a
thoroughbred depends upon if you need someone to
climb a tall tree and gather acorns, or do you need
someone to carry a 100-pound jockey while running
around a two-mile track?

A significant portion of this book has been spent
emphasizing the importance of identifying the
personality traits of the people with whom you
communicate.
The people-side of the equation is a
critical element in the performance improvement
process. Just as important as assessing the personality
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Bonus

1: The Job at Hand

or FLAVA of the person, it is equally important to
understand the position-side by assessing the FLAVA
of the job. This may initially seem like an odd concept.
Can a job have a personality? Absolutely!
Review the list of random jobs below:
Stand-up Comedian

Guidance Counselor

Accountant

Chaplin

Mortician

Fitness Instructor

Architect

Math Teacher

Used Car Salesperson

Tax Preparer

Street Performer

Astrophysicist

All jobs including the ones above require
specific activities and demand different behaviors
from the people who do them. As you reviewed the
list, there probably were several jobs that you could
not see yourself doing or at least not doing for a
sustained period of time.

You were able to quickly and intuitively assess the
personality or FLAVA of each job. The FLAVA
Methodology also helps you to identify and assess the
other half of the equation, the position-side.
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The jobs above were somewhat easy to categorize
because they have stark contrasts that people generally
understand well. All jobs and positions are a
collection of a series of associated tasks which can
vary in their requirements.

Each job may have some tasks that are
“squirrel-related” and some that are “thoroughbredrelated”. The next book in this series is, The Masala
Principle. We will explain the process of determining
how transformational managers connect the right
people to the most appropriate position.

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Bonus

1: The Job at Hand

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“A business that makes nothing
but money is a poor business.”
Henry Ford, Automotive magnate & business icon

“You reach a point where you
don’t work for money.”
Walt Disney, Entertainment magnate & business icon

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Bonus section 2: The Same Old Carrot
The hardest thing in business is not actually achieving
success. It is to repeat and maintain success!

All one-hit wonders in music had their proverbial 15minutes of fame, but could not repeat their
achievements. Success does have an element of
chance and opportunity associated with it. The Infinite
Monkey Theorem states that even a chimp hitting
random keys on a keyboard for an infinite amount of
time will almost assuredly type a given text, such as
the complete works of Shakespeare.
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Once success is achieved in any field, remaining
sufficiently motivated to continue that success is very
difficult to do within a group or team environment.
Becoming a master of motivation is a critical
competency that transformational leaders leverage to
effectively lead their teams.

For years, leaders have wrestled over the decision of
whether the carrot or stick is the more effective way to
motivate. Each option has its merit and will have a
degree of success within certain situations. The stick
resorts to a base instinct of fear and ultimately when
the â&#x20AC;&#x153;stickâ&#x20AC;? is removed so is the need to perform.

While the carrot does also motivate, it appeals to a
more basic set of needs. Carrots and sticks may work
for those who are attempting to achieve success for
the first time. However, to sustain success with those
who are already accustomed to it requires something
completely different. You can continue to use the
same old carrot. But, will it continue to work?
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Coaches of underdog sports teams have given the
inspirational “Win one for the Gipper” speeches that
have motivated their out-manned and overmatched
teams to achieve the upset victories. How many times
will that “same old carrot” actually work? Not more
than once. Leaders of organizations similarly use the
same old carrot to attempt to repeatedly motivate their
employees. They use the oldest and most common
carrot—money.

Make no mistake. Money is a motivator, but it is not
the most effective carrot. The two previous quotes by
Henry Ford and Walt Disney affirm that it is not all
about the Benjamins. Instead of carrots, we
recommend that you use “FRUITS” to motivate in
accordance with the FLAVAs. FRUITS is another
acronym for Frequently Remembered Unattained
Inspirational Thoughts of Success. Okay, that is a
forced acronym but, it makes my point. FRUITS are
those things about which we all daydream. No one
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truly daydreams about money. We frequently
fantasize about the things that money will allow us to
buy or do for ourselves and the ones we love. The
actual carrot meets our most basic need for
nourishment. We eat it because it is good for us and
we have to, however we do not have to be forced to
eat delicious and sweet fruits. The carrot is buried
underneath the earth, but the fruit hangs on the tree in
full view and its scent is wafting through the air. The
fruit is a constant enticement to our visual and
olfactory senses.

In the next book in this series, we will introduce you
to the four FRUITS of FLAVA motivation. You will
learn how offering an Apple, Orange, Coconut or
Pear instead of the same old carrot will make a world
of difference in their performance.

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“The two most important
days in a person’s life are, the
day that you are born. And
the day that you know why.”
Mark Twain, author

The FLAVA approach utilizes the metaphor of food to
express the concept of personalities. The state of
Louisiana (New Orleans more specifically) is known
for its creole-influenced cuisine. They have the
creole term of lagniappe which translated means “a
little something extra”.

Lagniappe refers to the thirteenth donut
in a baker’s dozen or to the unexpected
complimentary side of jambalaya that the creole chef
provides to your meal.
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The Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your FLAVA? concept was designed to
provide an uncomplicated system to explain
personalities and improve personal communication. It
was developed so that all people regardless of their
backgrounds, could understand it and could
immediately apply it. Additionally, it needed to
captivate and engage participants. For what good is a
system that does not compel you to use it?

Through the ongoing feedback that we receive, the
system has scored on all of those intended points.
However, there has been an additional result that
participants of the process were not expecting. They
have received a bit of lagniappe. There has been an
extraordinary outpouring sense of affiliation that has
developed. Participants are discovering their FLAVAs
and therefore are also learning explanations for
things they have wondered for years. They have
discovered that they are not alone in how they think
and feel. They have learned that there is an entire

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population of people who are very much like them.
Mark Twainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poignant quote on the previous page
underscores how important the day is when you
discover your purpose.
FLAVA participants have also discovered that the day
when they discovered their FLAVAs was a very
significant day in their lives as well.

This awakening has engendered within
participants a sense of well-being and affinity for a
much larger group beyond oneself. Participants have
affable defiance regarding those personality quirks
that they once thought of as negative, but now they
view as a badge of honor.

They have begun the self-discovery process and they
are embracing their FLAVA pride. They really want
to show it. It is more than just a warm and fuzzy
feeling on the inside, this pride in their personalities
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has produced recognition by others as well. There are
four steps in the FLAVA self-discovery process:

People are choosing to express their FLAVAs with
various products from t-shirts and caps to coffee mugs
and other great merchandise. In response to the
growing demand for FLAVA products, we launched our
FLAVA Gear product line. To personally express your
FLAVA, you can visit the FLAVA store at
www.whatsyourflava.net for product information.

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Are you?

Wh

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Are you?

connect with some

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Why are some jobs fun and others are not?
Are you?

Are you?
Well, to answer those questions, you must first answer this question.

What's Your

Ito-

V ?

What's Your FLAVA?is the first book in the 3-part series from the Masala
Management Institute. Once you understand your FLAVA,
the next step is to master
The Masala Principle. And the final step in the series is explori ng The Sorghum Factor.